Brian Willis

Brian Willis is a retired officer, trainer and author who now serves as deputy executive director for the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA).

William Harvey

William "Bill" Harvey is currently serving as chief of police in south central Pennsylvania. He retired from the Savannah (Ga.) Police Department where he worked assignments in training, patrol, and CID. Harvey has more than 25 years of experience working with recruits, rookies, and FTOs.

I Can't Stand My FTO!

Getting along and learning are hard work.

You've got the job, passed the police academy, and entered the field-training segment of your new career. Yes, you're on the career path of your dreams. But what should you do if you can't stand your FTO?

This can be a problem on several fronts, so let's talk about this before it gets out of hand.

The role of the Field Training Officer (FTO) is more or less defined as that of a one-on-one supervisor and trainer. They're the direct connection between graduates of the academy and self-actuated functioning police officers. The FTO has a defined mission to be the trainer, evaluator, supervisor, confessor, and many other roles.

Most departments don't have an articulated job description for the FTO. All too often, it's clumped into the "other assigned duties as directed" category. This can be a legal issue in several ways. For instance, if the recruit doesn't meet the departmental standards, the FTO may not have the authority to evaluate, recommend, and directly comment to the training or personnel files. Ideally, the FTO program should be codified within departmental procedures to strengthen the FTO and the program itself.

The FTO is a one-on-one supervisor of the recruit and may have the toughest job in Policeland. We all need breathing space; I don't like having someone standing over my shoulder. There's something about driving down the road with a person next to you who's evaluating your every move. You may feel like you're reliving your teenage DMV test.

While you're writing, your FTO is watching or criticizing every word selection and sometimes you want to scream. I hope you can fully understand the direct supervision of the dangerous and critical tasks you perform. We operate several dangerous instruments and safety must never be compromised. Sometimes the pressure of staying under the direct and all-seeing eye of the FTO creates a self-imposed drama within recruits.

There's a reason for this. If you can't perform under controlled pressure, how will you handle real-world pressures? If you can't stand the FTO asking you why you wrote a report in a particular way, how will you defend this to the sergeant, the district attorney, or under cross examination on the stand?

I often equate the constant eye of a trainer with learning to tie your shoes or riding a bike as a youth. You think you know how and want to show the trainer that you can, but you can't avoid the glaring frustration of attempting a skill you have yet to master. We all need space, but in order to proceed, the FTO must verify that he or she has explained and demonstrated a task and you've performed it.

Asking the FTO for a "do over" may sound simple enough. Just remember that the next time you need to perform this skill in the real street environment you may not be afforded any "do overs."

An FTO must also be the all-knowing prophet or confessor for your police career. Stop and think. Who taught you certain methods of performing police tasks? More than likely, it was the FTO who reaffirmed that you were performing as taught in the academy. The FTO was also likely directing you to get your skills up to required departmental performance standards.

The FTO will also be the one to help you over the phobias, hang-ups, and uncertainties of police life. Every recruit I've ever trained has always asked the "how do you handle this, if…" question. The FTO must grasp your skill level before responding. This is a difficult task and takes years to develop.

Before you decide that you can't stand your FTO, step back and view his or her role in your world as well as in the department. Learn to get along. Understand that there is a method to an FTO's madness. Before you know it, you'll be requesting FTO School. You see, good FTOs also produce good FTOs for the future. Drive on and train hard.

Comments (7)

Displaying 1 - 7 of 7

Kerry @ 6/6/2012 6:06 PM

My husband had 3 FTOs. His first and third FTOs were awesome. His second was a complete jackhole. So much so, that the third FTO asked the first what was up the second one's butt. That dude even had the nickname "Grumpy." His seniority was the only thing that kept him as an FTO.

Pete Jirasek @ 6/8/2012 4:27 AM

Great article Bill! As an FTO Coordinator for 12yrs I appreciate everything the article discussed. How about passing this one to police academies?It's a great read for recruits!

Matt @ 6/12/2012 12:00 PM

I fully appreciate this article and the way it defines what the job entails for the FTO from the “New Guys” point of view. I viewed my FTO’s the same way but after being on the job for almost ten years and looking at the way I train the new recruits myself I forget how strict I may appear to them or the reason I look at things the way I do. It was all due to the diligence, hard work, and extra time spent training from my FTO. My only other advise in regards to this article would be, If you don’t think that your FTO has as much Initiative as you may have or like then learn the way your supposed to from them, then look around you and learn from some of the other leaders in your department and continue to go the extra mile.

Capt David-Ret LA County @ 6/13/2012 8:42 AM

Many times FTO's are pushed into the job. Some stations in Los Angeles County have such turnover that the FTO is the deputy who has been in the station maybe a year. They are good deputies but maybe not so good in training or just don't want to be in that position but have no choice. read www.whenlawmenlie.com for one deputy's experience at training..

Pup @ 6/13/2012 9:19 AM

I agree with Capt. Dave but have to add, when FTO's were introduce to incentive pay, the training program began to spiral downward. Many FTO's are inexperienced and they're training for the status or pay. To add fuel to the fire, the dept. pushes bodies into patrol when not having enough qualified FTO's. Therefore, what are they producing? I agree with "good FTOs also produce good FTOs for the future". The problem is most of the good ones transfer to better positions. Like any other business, you're going to have good and bad FTO's. Just pray you get one who wants to teach. On the flip side of the coin, trainee's can't be thin skin and a whiner. He/she is teaching you to stay alive.

Kilroy @ 6/27/2012 12:38 PM

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?item=461

A large number of FTO agencies in our area have changed to PTO. PTOs tend to be the best and brightest, often moving up rapidly within their agency. It is normally a sought after and highly competitive position to attain.

Worth a look.

Jim A @ 6/28/2012 7:59 AM

I have been an FTO for many years. I am in a small department, so most often handle all three stages by myself. It can be a grind on the FTO and Trainee and believe me, we are ready to be on our own after 2 1/2 months! Seldom do new officers fully appreciate your duties at the time. They tolerate you. But they do come to you afterward and ask advice and I have had several tell me years later that I was very helpful to them. I have had my trainees excel, which is personally rewarding. Also, I have learned something from every one of my trainees and have been energized by each, so being an FTO is not completely a one-sided relationship!!

Jim A

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